Providing effective medical and case management services to HIV-infected youth preparing to transition to adult care

Abstract

A key aspect of maintaining health for HIV-infected adolescents is the transition from pediatric care to adult medical care. Because young people who were infected with HIV as children were initially not expected to survive until adulthood, relatively little attention has been given to issues associated with this transition to adult care. With improved life expectancies, health professionals are increasingly faced with the new challenge of working with these young people as they grapple with the unique experience of being an HIV-infected adolescent transitioning into adulthood. This article discusses the unique developmental trajectories of young people infected with HIV as children, challenges for health care professionals who work with them, and strategies for practitioners to increase the competencies needed to develop effective partnerships with these youth as they transition into adult care.